Molecular communication is inspired by observation of intracellular and intercellular signaling mechanisms mediated by chemical substances (molecules). In molecular communication, nanoscale molecules are used as information carriers in which information is encoded. Molecular communication is expected to create a new communication paradigm based on biochemical reaction stimulated by reception of molecules.
Unlike existing communication technologies that make use of electromagnetic waves (electric signals or optical signals) for information carriers, molecular communication is implemented using biochemical signals at a slow speed with small energy consumption. Molecular communication has high potential of application to nanoscale inter-device communication that cannot use electromagnetic waves for capability reasons or environmental reasons or to operational control of nanomachines that cannot be assembled with or driven by electronic components.
One of the in vivo signaling mechanisms is a vesicular transport using motor proteins named kinesins. Kinesin is about 80 nm long and it carries a substance several times as large as kinesin itself along a fiber-like rail molecule called a microtubule in a living cell. A nanotransport system making use of this biophenomenon is known, in which kinesins carrying an artificial cargo (microbead) move in one direction along a microtubule fixed onto a substrate. See non-patent publication 1 listed below. Another nanotransport system is also known, in which kinesins are fixed into a straight channel formed by lithography and a microtubule moves on the fixed kinesins in one direction. See non-patent publication 2 listed below.
However, these publications only report successful experiments to confirm an artificial unidirectional movement of in vivo molecules, and they do not refer to actual applications at all.
Meanwhile, an information communication system using a biomacromolecule as a communication medium or a recording medium is proposed. See patent-related publication 1 listed below. This system includes a transmission sub-system that converts a message to be transmitted (or written) into sequence information or binding-mode information and combines the sequence information or the binding-mode information with a biopolymer material to produce a synthetic polymer.
When receiving or reading the synthetic polymer at the receiving sub-system, the encoded sequence/binding-mode information is taken out of the synthetic polymer and decoded into a received (or readout) message.
This publication does not describe how the synthetic polymer is transmitted from the transmission sub-system to the receiving sub-system using what kind of transmission channel.    Non-patent Publication 1: R. Yokokawa, et al., “Hybrid Nanotransport System by Biomolecular Linear Motors”, Journal of Microelectromechanical Systems, Vol. No. 13, No. 4, pp. 612-619, August 2004    Non-patent Publication 2: Hiratsuka, et al., “Controlling the Direction of Kinesin-driven Microtubule Movements along Microlithographic Tracks”, Biophysical Journal, Vol. 81, No. 3, pp. 1555-1561, September 2001    Patent-related Publication 1: JP 2003-101485A